A Winter's Tale
by Cloudshaper
Summary: Helga's not quite into the festive holiday spirit this year, but there might just be someone at Rhonda's Holiday party to give her something to smile about... one-shot


A/N: Hello! This is my first HA! Story. I loved it as a kid, and it's just kind of come back to me all of a sudden, and I realized that I miss it so much! I rewatched the series, and just thought I might try my hand at it. So here's a little something that I came up with a couple hours ago out of pure boredom. Hope it's not too bad. :)

**A Winter's Tale**

_By BeautifullyUnlimited_

_Disclaimer: I definitely do NOT own HA! in any way shape or form. _

_----_

She stares stone-faced into the bathroom mirror. How terribly unattractive she is. She frowns at her own reflection, thoroughly displeased at her outward appearance. She pouts her lower lip outwards disappointedly. Her eyes take in her features: her dark, thick singular eyebrow; her eyes that have become permanently cold from all the bullying she's done; her tense shoulders.

She tears her fixated eyes away from the 'repulsive' image and turns to an old makeup kit she's come across in the cabinet below the sink. Of course, the kit has the name _Olga Pataki _etched on the bottom in permanent marker. She grits her teeth and rips some lipstick from the bag. She leans closer over the sink to get a better view of herself, and she begins to apply the wretched material onto her face. She feels guilty just thinking about committing such a crime.

It wasn't as though she's doing this to simply fit in, as it had been the first time she'd worn makeup. This time is different; she knows she will not go as extreme as she has in the past. She will not change her hair, or her eyebrows, or her cup size; she will simply 'doll herself up' a tad. However, her reasoning to do so is different. She wasn't hoping to impress Rhonda Wellington Lloyd or the popular girls of the freshmen class at Hillwood High School, but one corn-flowered hair boy in particular…

The blonde teenager runs some lipstick over her chapped lips, and applies mascara and eye-liner. She finds its better to keep things as simple as they need to be. It takes only a couple of minutes to complete the transformation.

Helga exits the bathroom and returns to her bedroom. She looks at the clock on her bedside table.

_7:08 p.m._

Rhonda's Christmas party would start in 22 minutes. Helga hurries over to her closet and brusquely opens the door. She rummages through outfits, all looking slightly similar to the previous ones. She wouldn't be wearing the outfit she was usually seen in, that horrendous pink dress that had gone through hell and back. She tosses it aside, contemplating wearing it to school on Monday. Suddenly, her eyes sparkle. There it is.

Helga pulls a dress out from her closet. Helga holds it up to her body in the mirror; it is a beautiful dark blue mini-dress that would fall to her knees and would leave her arms exposed. The only complaint she has is that the dress is an old Christmas present from Olga. She smiles to herself. It's a wonderful dress, with the right amount of cute, and the right amount of attractiveness. But _his _opinion is what matters to her. Helga straightens out the slight creases in the dress and places it down on her bed. She pulls her sweatshirt over her head and tosses it to the foot of the bed. She does the same with her sweatpants and puts the dress on in their place.

She hesitates. The dress is fairly tight. Helga advances to the mirror, catching sight of the dress. It's a bit too tight in her chest area, but she doesn't mind. Hopefully he won't mind that too much. Helga slips on a pair of sapphire sandals. She awkwardly walks into the bathroom to curl her hair.

Only when she reaches the bathroom mirror does she realize what she's becoming. Helga is taken aback; she cannot determine who the girl in the mirror is.

"Criminy…" she murmurs to herself, dabbing at the lipstick and mascara, removing the majority of it off of her face. Helga shakes her head in disappointment.

_This isn't who you are…_her subconscious reasons with her. _Why are you doing this? To please Arnold? What's the point? If he was really interested in you, he would've said something by now. If he only likes you because you're 'pretty', he's not worth it._

Helga stares intently on her reflection, tears forming in her eyes. She looks away, knowing her subconscious has won the battle.

She hurries back into her room, hauling the dress over her hand and onto the floor—ripping it in the process. She doesn't care. Helga pulls a pair of dark blue skinny jeans out of her closet, along with an amaranth colored jacket. She puts on a white tank top to lie underneath the jacket, and zips it up hastily. She puts on a pair of charming dark brown winter boots. She ties her hair up into a high, singular ponytail, and leaves the house with her winter coat and hat without a word to her parents, something not unheard of in the Pataki household.

----

Helga sees Phoebe Heyerdahl at the corner, waiting for the light. Helga sprints forward to catch up to her.

"Pheebs!" Helga calls out.

The tiny half-Japanese girl turns around. "Oh, hello there, Helga!" The light turns green.

Helga's cheeks are flushed from the cold wind. "You excited for this?" she asks, stepping into the cleared street. Phoebe slips a hand into her jacket pocket, while the other pushes her glasses forward onto her face and follows the other hand into its rightful pocket.

"I guess so," she says. "Rhonda's Christmas parties are always rather enjoyable."

Helga rolls her eyes. "Oh yeah, they're lots of fun," she retorts sarcastically. Phoebe glances up at the blonde beside her. "Well, I think so," she puts in.

Helga lets out a laugh. "You're only saying that because you and Gerald got together at last year's party." Phoebe's faces turns pinker than Helga's.

She clears her throat. "True, but honestly I've always seemed to enjoy her parties." At Helga's scoff, she continues: "Who knows? Maybe this year's will be extra special!"

Helga puts her hand on Phoebe's shoulder as they approach Rhonda's stoop.

"Keep dreaming, Pheebs."

----

Rhonda greets the two girls warmly as she welcomes them into her house.

"It's so great the two of you could make it!"she exclaims, although Helga gets the feeling Rhonda's words are directed more at Phoebe. Helga frowns, but continues on into the house. Most of their friends are already there, dancing and conversing and standing around the snack table. Helga can see Sid and Stinky on Phoebe's couch, watching a blaring big-screen TV; Eugene and Sheena are standing with Nadine in the middle of the room, chatting; Harold's at the food table. (_No surprise there, _Helga smirks). She can see Lila, Peapod Kid, Lorenzo, Katrinka, Iggy, even Patty, Gerald—and _Arnold_.

Her heart rate increases as her eyes focus on him. She wants to melt at that moment, feeling both sickened and cozy inside. She has the urge to go over and talk to him as he pours punch into a cup, but she cannot bring herself to do so.

Phoebe clears her throat beside Helga and nudges the girl. Helga's eyes fall onto her best friend and she turns red when she realizes who Phoebe's gesturing to. Helga sputters out: "No way!" Helga recalls her thoughts earlier in her bathroom and turns the other way, joining Sid and Stinky on the couch.

----

Time passes very quickly on the particular Saturday night. Helga knows that she's having a decent time, but she will not bring herself to admit it. She's leaning in a doorway, watching a group of kids play charades. She laughs gently at how stupid Harold looks. Her eyes fall to the floor, thoughts of Arnold drifting into her mind. Her smile falters slightly.

_So what if he'll never be mine…I'll live, won't I? _

She looks up at the boy, so benign and innocent. Little does he know how much torment he brings her...

Suddenly, Helga feels tired. She moves towards the door, reaching for her jacket.

"You going somewhere?" Arnold's voice is ringing in her ears. She turns slowly to her side, her eyes fixating first on the corn-flower haired boy. She angles her head slightly to meet his gaze. She drops her hand.

"Well, well, well, look whose deciding to finally talk to me tonight," she replies sarcastically, but Arnold simply smiles.

"I really haven't seen you all night," he shrugs. "This is the first chance I got to really talk to you."

Helga narrows her eyes in confusion. "And you actually…_want _to?"

Arnold shrugs his shoulders, a small smile on his face. "Well, yeah…sure."

Suddenly, Helga's face brightens. _Arnold _wants to talk to _her_. The problem is, he doesn't know just what a small thing like this will do to her. Helga looks away sheepishly.

"Oh, well…that's…sweet of you, Arnold," she manages to get out. She glances at the jacket hanging on the coat rack. "But you know, I really think I should get going—"

"Well then, can I walk you home?"

Helga eyes Arnold wearily. "_What _is up with you, Football Head?"

Arnold gives a careless shrug once again. "I already told you; I just kind of want to."

Helga pauses and thinks for a moment. She sighs, eyeing him strangely. "Well, _Arnoldo, _if you really want to…" she flashes a mocking grin, "Feel free to join me."

----

Arnold and Helga slip out of Rhonda's party unnoticed by the others. Dressed in their winter coats, the two teens traverse through the wintery streets. Arnold ignites a simple conversation: "So did you have fun?"

"I guess," Helga admits, shrugging. "It wasn't too horrible."

Arnold nods understandingly. Helga eyes him. _He's a strange one, all right, _she thinks to herself, _but that doesn't stop me from loving him…_

The kids continue to walk towards Helga's house, casual conversation taking place ("Did you do the English homework yet?"). Arnold and Helga arrive at Helga's stoop only several minutes later. They stand atop the stoop, looking at one another, a small amount of light from the streetlight drifting towards them.

"Thanks for walking me home, Football Head,"

"Anytime, Helga," he responds kindly. He looks upwards and takes a double take. "Uh…Helga?" he calls to her as she attempts to find her key to the house.

"Yeah?"

Arnold points up, and Helga's head turns to see mistletoe hanging above both blonde heads. Immediately, Helga blushes a deep red. She freezes. She doesn't know whether to punch him or to take him in her arms right then and there. She stares straight at him as she had done in her bathroom mirror, mouth hanging open slightly.

Her stomach drops as she notices that Arnold's leaning towards her slightly. Helga looks at his lips, desiring nothing more than to lean forward and press her lips against his. Helga feels her eyes drooping, and the last thing she can see is Arnold's face just inches away from hers…

"Helga!" a voice calls as the door opens abruptly. Olga Pataki is standing in the doorway, beaming. Helga and Arnold pull away quickly, both blushing deeply. Olga rushes forward, hugging her little sister. "Baby Sister! I've missed you so much!" Helga lets Olga hug her, completely stunned at the epic disappointment that had occurred. Helga hears Olga rambling in her ears, but cannot bring herself to put her emotions into words. Helga has the urge to kill herself right then and there.

"Olga!" she explodes violently. Olga pulls away slightly. "Go-away-right-now." Helga snarls through gritted teeth. Olga blinks and shrugs in confusion. "If you say so, baby sister!" Olga smiles and closes the front door behind her. Helga turns to look at Arnold once again, except…

…he's gone.

Helga looks around in disbelief. "Stupid Football Head!" she yells out. Suddenly, all in the time span of roughly ten seconds, footsteps are heard on her front stoop. Helga feels someone whirl her around as quick as lightning, and suddenly, he can feel soft lips pressed against hers. It takes her a moment to realize that Arnold is kissing her; kissing her delicately, as if to keep from dropping glass. Helga manages to close her eyes and begin to respond, placing her hands on the back of his head, when he pulls away. He looks deep into her eyes.

"Good night, Helga." He whispers to her, grinning innocently.

He releases his grip on her and jumps off the stoop, leaving the bewildered blonde girl on her stoop, thoughts racing through her head. She turns to open her door, when Arnold's voice catches her ear once again.

"By the way," he starts from several feet away.

"You look beautiful tonight."

He gives a short wave and runs away, a light jump in his stride.

Helga watches him as he runs away, newfound tears rolling down her cheeks. She stumbles through the front door and falls onto the ground, smiling through her tears. She curls up into a fetal position, grinning. She manages to release one short whisper:

"Good night, Arnold."

**A/N: Thanks so much for reading, guys. Also, were you guys okay with the story basically being told in the moment? Or did that just get annoying? I wasn't sure whether or not to leave it like that, but I had eventually decided to keep it throughout the whole story. :P Anyways, feel free to review. Thanks!**


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